THe Beginning of the End
by Steph-Schell
Summary: They just wanted to help him. Part 12 in "NoraxBass"
1. Chapter 1

Given a choice, and she rarely was these days, Nora wouldn't have been standing outside Miles' door tonight. But it was the safest place to go, in more ways than one. So she knocked on the door and waited. She didn't like it for a single second.

Miles scowled when he saw her. "So help me, if the next words out of your mouth are 'I ran into a door' _I _will be the one back handing you."

"Actually it was going to be 'can I sleep here'?" she replied.

"Once you tell me about the bruise on your cheek."

"It's no big deal. Bass got a little rowdy when I was putting him to bed."

Miles rolled his eyes. "No big deal," he repeated. "You really think I'm that stupid, don't you Nora?"

"Don't be over dramatic," Nora snapped without much heat.

"Nora, this is the third time this week. Not month, _week_. I'm pretty sure it counts as a big deal at this point."

"You know what? Screw this. I'm going to sleep at Jeremy's."

Miles grabbed her arm as she turned away. "The hell you will," he snapped. "People are already talking more than they should. Get your ass in here before someone sees."

Nora followed him in and sat on the couch while Miles when to get her ice. She understood his anger. In Miles Matheson's mind there were exactly two sins you could commit. Only two. Rape and abuse. Anything else, including murder, could be explained away. Nora had seen him do it more than once. They didn't talk about the early days of the Militia for a lot of reasons.

But if he ever caught you hurting those weaker than yourself…god protect you from the fury of that Marine. There was no corner you could hide in where he couldn't hunt you down for vengeance. And that vengeance would be sure to fit the crime. Nora hoped she could spare Bass that pain.

Miles came back with a towel full of ice for her cheek. "Come on Twig," he said using her old nickname. "Tell me what's really going on in that house."

"It's not bad," Nora insisted. "I'll learn how to duck better, that's all."

"Nora, these days you don't even have makeup to hide behind. Anyone with eyes can see you're lying. And I'm not just anyone."

Nora pursed her lips. "Bass is just grieveing."

"So am I but I haven't hit anyone."

It was true. Between the two of them, Miles was becoming much steadier than Bass. And people were beginning to notice. "Look, tomorrow I'll pour out all the liquor. Or hide it somewhere. He won't hit me if he's not drunk."

"You want to bet on that?" Miles countered.

"He's not a bad person."

"I never said he was."

"You just called him an abuser."

"Because he _is. _For god sakes, Nora, have you looked in a mirror lately?" Miles sighed as he slumped in his chair. "Look, I love Bass as much as you do. But he clearly has a problem. And it's getting a lot harder to keep it quiet."

Nora looked down in guilt. Miles wanted the same thing as her. To help Bass. They needed to be allies rather than enemies. "You want the truth?"

"It'd be nice."

"The truth is I don't know who that man sleep in my house is but he is not my husband. He's not the man I married in a rundown church with a handful of militia as witnesses. And I don't' know how to get that man back."

"You and me both," Miles agreed.

"So what do we do?"

"Hell if I know." Miles rubbed his face tiredly. "We need to do _something_ and fast. The sooner we put a lid on this, the better. There are too many people saying too many things. Bass needs to be stable if we're all going to survive."

"Tomorrow," Nora decided. "We'll talk to him together. Alone. There's nothing weird about that. We do it all the time."

Miles decided not to point out that the three of them hadn't spoken alone since Lilly died. "You really think talking to him will help when he's in this deep?"

"If we go to him together," Nora nodded. "He knows us, Miles. He knows we both want what's best for him. If we go together, Bass will listen."

Miels considered her point. They had no other play at this point that kept Bass safe. "You realize this is only the first step in a very long road, right?"

Nora smiled as much as she could with the bruise on her cheek. "I married him, remember? I know what we have to do."

"Tomorrow then," Miles agreed. "It's too late to do anything tonight anyway.

"Is it alright if I stay in a guest room?"

"Pick your favorite," Miles gestured.

"Thanks." Nora handed him back the ice and got up. She paused to rest a hand on his shoulder. "You're a good friend, Miles. Don't ever doubt that."

Miles just grunted in reply.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Did you think I had forgotten about this universe?

* * *

They were both up early the next morning. Neither one could sleep well and the sooner they got this over with, the better. Miles hustled into casual clothes while Nora used a spare dress that she kept there. They didn't want this to seem too formal. An actual confrontation would only upset Bass. This needed to be a more subtle confrontation. "Ready?" Miles ask as Nora came down.

"As I'll ever be," she shrugged.

"Want breakfast?"

Nora shook her head. "Food won't sit in my stomach. Not this morning."

"Same," Miles nodded. He adjusted his jacket. "Let's get this over with."

They made their way, arm in arm, to the house next door. No one paid them any attention. This was completely normal. Jeremy met them on his way out. "Thank god you're back," he said. "Bass has been going nuts."

"You off shift?" Miles asked.

Jeremy nodded. "Hoping to catch some sleep before I go back on. I'm on recruit inspection today."

"Go get sleep," Miles ordered. "I'll have someone cover you."

Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "You feeling okay?"

"You want the relief or not, soldier?"

Jeremy saluted. "Aye, aye, General."

Miles gave a half salute back. He glanced at Nora. "Into the lion's den."

"Don't talk like that," Nora frowned. "This is going to work. It has to." Miles said nothing as he led her back inside.

It didn't take long to find Bass. They just had to follow the noise. He was drunk as ever, blundering around looking for Nora. She grimaced every time she heard her name. Miles wanted to comfort her but he was pretty sure it wasn't a good idea. He didn't want to anger Bass if he could help it. And it sounded like the slightest thing would set Bass off right now.

"I don't' want to go in," Nora admitted as they approached the office.

"We have to," Miles reminded her. "Besides, you don't have to worry. I'll be there every step of the way."

"I'm glad I have you," Nora murmured.

"Soon you'll have Bass too," Miles promised her. "Now you first."

Nora pushed the door open a crack and ducked inside. She could tell Bass was already deep into his bender of the day. His eyes were wild and his movements were jerky. The sour smell of whiskey permeated the very air around them even with the windows opened. Nora was not a timid woman by any means but the whole scene was making her very uncomfortable. "Hello Bass," she greeted softly.

Bass turned to her, relief and anger mixing on his face like the drinks he had been taking to soothe the pain. "There you are," he snapped. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been? I was looking everywhere for you." He began to stalk closer and Nora had to fight to remain still. It got worse as he grabbed her. "I woke up and you were gone. What the hell, Nora? You can't just disappear like that."

Miles looked at Nora's expression and stepped in. "Bass, she was with me," he said, trying to edge between the couple. "I thought she told you, I'm sorry."

Bass turned to his best friend with wild, red eyes. "She was with you?" he repeated.

"Yeah. She slept at my place. She…uh, she thought you wanted some space."

Bass looked between the two of them and his expression turned to disgust. "Space," he spat. "Is that what you want Nora? Space?" He pushed her away from him. "This is the third time this week you've wanted *space* from me. It's like you can't even stand to be in the same room with me."

Nora hurried to his side as he sat at his desk. "That's not it, Bass, I swear," she insisted. "You were just so…I love you, baby. You know that."

"Do I? Because it's really looking like the opposite."

"Bass, how could you ever think That?"

Bass turned to her with fury in his gaze. "How could I think anything else?" he demanded. "My own wife won't let me touch her! Hell you can barely look at me Nora! Even now you're trying to act like I'm not here!"

"Bass, it's not like that," she insisted. Miles could see the tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean to upset you, I swear. I just wanted you to—"

"Shut up!" Bass screeched. "I'm sick of your prattle."

"Bass, I just want to help you!"

Bass surged to his feet and back handed her. Nora twisted to avoid the sharp edges of his desk and ended up falling over. "Stop lying to me!"

"I'm sorry."

It was that quiet, barely there statement that did it. Miles just snapped at the thought of the woman who taught them to make explosives cowering in her own home. His vision became a red haze as he moved toward Bass who was raising his fist again. Without thinking he had the President locked up against his desk, arm twisted behind his back. Miles leaned into whisper in Monroe's ear. "Touch her again and I will rip off your hand," he warned.

Bass looked over his shoulder at Miles and then at Nora who was slowly getting to her feet. With a might heave he freed himself from Miles' grip and grabbed his gun. "So this is how it's going to be," he murmured. "I see it now."

"Bass, don't jump to conclusions," Nora warned, keeping her eyes on the gun.

"Jump to conclusions?" Bass repeated. "You mean like the conclusion that my wife and best friend are sleeping together? Is that the conclusion you're talking about Nora?'

"Bass, don't be stupid," Miles tired. "Just…just put the gun down okay?"

Bass was still focused on Nora. "I should have put the pieces together before now. But like an idiot I actually thought you two were loyal. That you two actually cared. Clearly I was wrong. I mean, why else would you be spending so much time with Miles?"

Miles swallowed back his retort of Bass being an abusive asshole and _of course _Nora would want to spend more time with Miles than her crazy husband. But that would only inflame Bass further. "Come on, Bass. You know we're loyal. We always have been."

"Bass, baby, don't do something you're going to regret," Nora added.

Bass gave them a cracked smile. "I'm already too far down that rabbit hole," he whispered.

Miles saw the gun raised and charged his friend. "Bass!" Because he grabbed Bass around the waist the shot went wide as the two fell to the ground. Nora screamed as she watched them grapple for the gun. Miles got to his feet with the weapon right as the guards burst through the door.

Bass was the first to recover his wits. "They tried to kill me!" he shouted, pointing at Nora and Miles. "Arrest them!"

Miles could have kicked himself for giving Jeremy the day off. IF it had been Jeremy or Tom or one of the older officers, he could have easily talked his way out of this situation. But these were new recruits, barely out of the academy. Eager to please and willing to do whatever they were ordered in hopes of making a favorable impression. And with Miles literally holding the smoking gun…

Nora was surprised by the jerk of her body as Miles grabbed her hand and began to run. "Can you ride bare back?" he demanded as they tore out of the house.

"Yeah, why?"

Miles didn't answer, instead pulling her towards the stables which were thankfully not too far away. Kip was in there readying his horse for his daily ride. "Miles?" he frowned.

Miles shoved him out of the way and clambered onto the horse. He reached down to Nora. "We need to move," he said when she hesitated.

"Bass…" Nora was cut off by yells of Militia searching for them.

"Bass is nuts and he will have us executed if we don't' leave now," Miles insisted.

Nora looked back one last time before taking his hand and throwing herself up behind him. Miles kicked the horse into a gallop and aimed it towards the city gates. Nora held on for dear life as she saw the Militia soldiers waiting for them outside. None of them was prepared for a full grown stallion though. Miles managed to blow past them easily. Nora glanced back to see them trying to ready their own horses in hopes of catching her and Miles. As her entire life began to fade in the distance, she buried her face in Miles' back to sob.

They rode into the forest and didn't halt until the horse was nearly ready to drop from exhaustion. "Here," Miles murmured as he helped her down.

"Miles," she began but Miles held up a hand. They could hear Militia in the distance. Miles swatted the horse and it went off in one direction while Miles pulled Nora in a different one. They hurried up a tree and watched as soldiers passed right under them.

"I think they're gone," he finally said.

"How long do you think they'll look for us?" Nora wondered.

"Until that husband of yours gets his head out of his ass," Miles sighed as they climbed down. Nora frowned at him. "I honestly don't know," he admitted. "I didn't' think it would get this bad in the first place. But Bass loves you at least. He has to cool down eventually, right?'

"You0 would know better than I would," Nora shrugged.

"Well whatever happens, we can't be found together. We stand a better chance of riding this out if we split up. They won't know which way to go then."

"Do you really think it's going to be that bad?"

"Probably."

Nora sighed. Miles was right. Bass could have the entire Militia on them by now. And there had already been rumors spreading that she and Miles were sleeping together. In one move they had turned an entire Republic against them. "Look, just promise me one thing," she said.

"Anything," Miles agreed.

"If one of us makes it back to Philly, we bring the other one home too. Can you promise me that Marine?"

"You have my word, Twig."

"Then I guess I'll see you when Bass finally cools down. Whenever that is." Nora gave him a half smile. "It can't be more than a month, right?"

"A month," Miles agreed. "Maybe two. Just until Bass realizes how everything goes to shit without us." He reached out to grip her hand. "We won't be on our own for long. Bass is going to call for us. Just watch."

Nora nodded. "He loves us. Both of us. He won't want us gone from him for long." She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "I'll see you around Marine."

"See you in a few months, Twig."


	3. Chapter 3

It was a year later when Miles started hearing rumors. It was a year and six months when he actually got the news. He'd set up shop in a dingy bar in Chicago figuring the city would be the first place Bass would look for him. Miles wasn't trying to hide, not really. He just needed Bass to cool down a little bit before he called Miles home. Bass was going to call him home of course. The question was simply whether he would do it before or after he called for Nora.

Nora had stopped in to the bar on her way to the west. She told Miles she wanted to see the Republic she had worked so hard to build. Miles could understand that. Bass loved Nora so much he practically kept her under lock and key back in Philly. Nora deserved to see what the world out there was like these days.

Of course they still kept in touch. Letters smuggled through trusted friends assured that they still knew the other was alive and well. Though they were also still on the outside and that was a little painful. But in each letter they wrote each other they remained hopeful. Bass loved them. He would call them home soon. They just needed to be patient while he worked through his issues.

Nora was the one who brought up the rumors first. The rumors that Bass really wasn't going to call them home. That they had completely broken ties with him and now he was asking for their heads. Somehow Miles couldn't quite believe that. He knew Bass was angry at them. There was no doubt of that. But this was Bass they were talking about. He was always much more level headed than Miles. He would call them home. Soon.

Miles was actually reading Nora's latest letter when he heard his name called. "What is it?" he asked without turning round.

"You need to leave," Alex stated, setting the new jars on the stack.

"It's my damn bar, Alex. I don't have to go anywhere."

"You do now."

"Give me one good reason."

"The Militia is coming."

Miles cursed in several languages. He wasn't hiding from Bass. He really wasn't. But he couldn't afford to be found until he was sure of the welcome he would receive back home. "You know the drill," he sighed, folding up the letter.

"I've never heard of a Miles Matheson in my entire life and I can't imagine where he might be," Alex quoted. "I know what to do."

Miles hopped out the back of the bar. He found a nice, dark, quiet corner to settle in with his letter. No one would notice him in all the shadows and he would still be able to hear all the talk going on. It was a good spot. He watched the new guard enter. Miles took note of all the familiar faces in the crowd. It was always good to know who was in power. Especially when you weren't. "Alex!" the major, Miles wanted to say his name was Jake, called. "Beer for my unit."

"You plan to pay for it this time?" Alex challenged as he started filling glasses.

The major set down a large chunk of gold. Alex began to pass out the drinks. "Do you have a place to hang some wanted posters?" the major asked.

"I might," Alex nodded. "Why? This about that Matheson guy you're all looking for?"

"He's got the highest bounty in the Republic on his head," one of the corporals said gleefully. Miles felt his stomach turn. "But it's only paid out if he's alive." Oh, that was so comforting. Bass wanted his head but only Bass could take it. Miles still felt sick.

"So did they raise the bounty or something?"

"Nope. Still 25 pounds of gold or 50,000 trade dollars. Depending on which you want. But there are new people we need to look for."

"Anyone interesting?"

They ran through a few names that Miles didn't really know. "There's this one that sounds realy feisty," the corporal from before said. "She's a Texan."

"A Texan up here?" Alex repeated. "Why'd she leave the country?"

"No idea. But she should stand out. Latin apparently." Miles tried to keep his breathing under control. There were lots of Latin women from Texas. There was no way they were talking about… "Apparently her name's Nora Clayton."

Miles' heart hit his stomach before he even had time to process the sentence. It was true. It was all so painfully true. They were wanted for crimes against the Republic. Wait, did he say… "Clayton?" Alex repeated. "Any other names?'

Miles tuned them out for a moment. "Her name is Monroe," he whispered. "Her name is Nora Monroe and she is the wife of your President." But was she? Why would Bass use Nora's maiden name? She had been so proud to take Bass' name. It was the name of *their* Republic. He swallowed and tuned back in to the conversation.

"Yeah, but she's only worth a small sum," one of them said.

"What is it, like 4 ounces of gold?"

"Yeah that or 5,000 trade dollars. Barely worth going after." That was okay. Bass had probably kept the bounty low to keep heat off his Nora. "Certainly not enough to keep her alive."

"Wait, the reward is payable dead or alive?" Alex asked.

The man answered in the affirmative. Miles suddenly realized the fluttering sound he heard was the letter in his hand. He was trembling. He stuffed the letter in his pocket and tried to absorb this information. Sebastian Monroe, Miles' best friend in the world, was not only asking for his wife's head on a platter but apparently she meant so little to him anymore that the reward was a pittance. And she didn't even need to be alive for the reward to be collected. Miles was not known as an emotional man but he wanted to sob right then.

How could Bass treat Nora so callously? This was *his* Nora. Miles had seen the man take on entire squads single handedly just to make it back to her. There was no being on this earth that Bass loved more than Nora. Certainly not Miles. Oh they had been close forever but when Bass had found Nora, his entire world shifted. He walked taller, sat straighter, smiled brighter. Nora was the best thing to ever happen to Bass and everyone in the capital knew it.

Whatever the fault was, Miles knew it had to lie with Bass. The letter he had been reading before the Militia came in spoke of how badly Nora missed her husband and just how much she wished they were both home in Philly. She kept talking about all the things she missed there, usually relating them back to Bass somehow.

God, her letter had been so hopeful too. Did she know about this? Did she know that not only was she wanted but Bass hadn't even bothered to put her real name on the poster? Nora would be crushed by that. Miles couldn't tell her. It wouldn't be fair. Not like this. Maybe he could get to her, speak to her in person. That would ease the blow a little, he was sure. If she got to hear it from someone she trusted then she would be able to actually grieve. Because that was what they both needed. To grieve the loss of something they never thought they would lose.

Miles didn't even realize he could be so broken by such a simple thing.

* * *

**A/N: **And we are now cannon compliant.


End file.
